New Kid On the Trail
by HannaHeyes
Summary: Kid has an accident that changes his whole perception of things,...and people...*COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

To: Thaddeus Jones

Belle Station, Texas

Had to stay extra night in Pine Sands due to storm.

Will arrive tomorrow.

Stay out of trouble.

Joshua Smith

_'Stay out of trouble...' _Kid Curry snorted and gave a nod to the telegrapher. "Thanks." He then headed out towards the main street running through Belle Station. He had arrived just that morning after finishing a job for Big Mac McCreedy. The job had been simple and had only required one of them, so he and Heyes had split up. Hannibal Heyes had ended up finding an equally easy job in Pine Sands, New Mexico.

_'He just better not tell me he didn't get paid again when he shows up tomorrow,' _Kid thought to himself. He stood on the boardwalk in front of the telegraph office taking in the town. Main street consisted of a dress shop,general mercantile, bank, restaurant, saloon, and hotel on the corner. To Curry's left, at the end of the town, sat the livery stable and sheriff's office. Having checked the local law enforcement once again upon his earlier arrival, Kid felt pretty confident they didn't need worry about being recognized. He found his eyes wandering back to the restaurant straight across from him. It was evening, and had been a while since he had last eaten. So, he decided to have some dinner. Besides, the sky was beginning to darken with cloud cover. _'Probably part of the storm that held up Heyes,' _Kid thought.

He crossed the street and sauntered into the restaurant. A couple of old-timers sipping coffee were the only patrons at the moment which suited Curry just fine. _'The less contact with people, the less chance someone might know me.' _He situated himself at a corner table, facing the door as usual. A waitress came over to him just as he was laying his hat down and trying to smooth down some unruly curls of hair.

"Why hello there!" the waitress said pleasantly. "Haven't seen you before. New in town?"

"Uh, yeah. Just got in this morning," Kid answered looking up at her.

"Well, you've just walked into the best restaurant this side of the Rio Grande!" the waitress proudly announced. "So, what can I get you sweetie?"

"Whatcha got?" Kid asked with a smile. Belle Station was starting to look pretty good judging by the auburn-haired beauty taking his order.

"Well, today we got beef stew or chicken," Ms. Waitress said with a smile of her own. "By the way, the name is Bethany, Mr...?"

"Jones. Thaddeus Jones. And well Bethany, I think I'll have me some chicken."

"Be just a few minutes," Bethany said as she turned toward the kitchen.

_'Now Kid, don't get no ideas. You'll be leaving day after tomorrow.' _Curry could just hear Heyes' voice in his head. _'Yeah, I know Heyes, stay out of trouble...'_

He was still in the midst of his mental argument when a hot plate of chicken and potatoes was plopped down in front of him.

"Enjoy Mr. Jones," Bethany smiled as she sashayed away.

Kid eagerly tore into the chicken. _'Don't worry Heyes. She's probably not interested anyway.'_

After his dinner was devoured, he stopped by the saloon just long enough for a couple of drinks, then decided to retire to his hotel room for the night. The job, then the early morning ride into town had left him exhausted. All he wanted to do now was relax.

Kid entered the hotel's lobby, asked Davy, the clerk behind the desk, if he had any messages, and headed up the staircase to his room. When he reached the top of the stairs, something creaked. Looking down, he realized one of the floorboards was loose and coming up on on end. _'They ought to fix that', _Curry thought in passing. He continued on to his room for some much needed relaxation.

Hannibal Heyes had also settled down into his own hotel room in Pine Sands, New Mexico. He had recently acquired, (legally of course), a book by Jules Verne and was looking forward to reading it. _'We finally got a little money, we're in an area where virtually nobody knows us, maybe we can get a little rest and relaxation when I meet up with Kid tomorrow,' _Heyes thought as he got comfortable in his bed. "Its about time," he said aloud for no other reason than to break the monotonous silence. Settled in for the night, he opened his new Verne book, excited to to lose himself in stories of shipwrecks, cannibals, and treachery.

_'Why can't I SLEEP?'_ Kid Curry turned restlessly on his bed. Normally, Heyes was the one who had trouble sleeping. Kid couldn't figure out what had brought on the sudden bout of insomnia. Having resigned himself to the fact he wasn't about to get to sleep anytime soon, he decided to get dressed and head back to the saloon for a nightcap.

The hotel's hallway was dimly lit as Kid opened his door. He walked quietly out of his room and down the hall so as not to disturb anyone that may not have had his problem getting to dreamland. He had just reached the top of the stairs when his boot connected with the loose end of the floorboard. He tried desperately to stop the inevitable fall, but failed miserably. Kid went tumbling down the staircase startling Davy the desk clerk his light nap.

"What the...?" Davy yelped as he saw the blond ex-outlaw come to rest at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh my gosh! Mister! Mister, you okay?" He ran over to Kid only to find him unconscious. The commotion had aroused the hotel's only other occupant at the moment.

"What's all this ruckus about?" came a voice from the second floor.

"He just fell down the stairs," Davy called up. "He's knocked himself out. Would you mind to come sit with him whilst I go and fetch Doc Lewis?"

"Sure, guess I could," the middle-aged cowboy said descending the stairs. "Go on and fetch the doc. I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thanks mister," Davy replied as he ran out the door and down the street.

A couple minutes later, Davy was banging on the front door of Belle Station's doctor. "Doc! Hey doc! Wake up!"

Not a few seconds later, the front door opened. "Davy! What are you doing out here yelling like a lunatic?" Bethany asked from the doorway.

"Beth! Where's your pa? There's a fella just fell down the stairs over to the hotel!" Davy breathlessly told her. "He knocked himself plumb out!"

"Oh my! Hold on. I'll go get him." Bethany disappeared back into the house only to emerge a few minutes later with her pa, the doctor. "Alright, let's go."

The trio returned to the hotel to find the cowboy still sitting on the bottom stair watching Kid. He stood when they entered. "He ain't moved at all," he informed them.

"Thanks for watching him mister," Davy said.

"No problem," the cowboy replied as he returned to his room.

"Let's have a look here," Doc Lewis said bending down to examine Kid. He quickly checked him for signs of broken bones. Then, when he was satisfied it would be safe to move him, got Davy and Beth to help carry Curry to the doc's office a couple doors down from the hotel.

"Lay him down gently," Doc Lewis grunted from exertion.

"Hey, I saw this fella earlier today in the restaurant," Beth said as they laid him down and removed his jacket. "I believe he said his name was Jones."

Doc Lewis examined Kid more closely looking for any injuries. Luckily, Curry didn't have anything broken. The only visible injuries were a few scratches and bruises, the most prominent being on the side of his forehead, disappearing into his hairline. "Beth, go get me the smelling salt out of the drawer," the doc instructed.

"Here you go," Bethany said a moment later.

Doc Lewis placed the vile of smelling salt under Kid's nose. "Mr. Jones? Wake up Mr. Jones."

After a few moments of administering the salts, Kid started to stir. He brought a hand up to his head and slowly opened his eyes. "Welcome back Mr. Jones," the doc said removing the vile.

"Huh? What?" Kid blinked his eyes trying to focus on the three, or was it six, people looking down at him. "Whoa, that must've been one heck of a shot of whiskey," he said quietly rubbing his eyes.

"It wasn't whiskey Mr. Jones. Seems you took a nasty spill down the hotel staircase," Doc Lewis informed him. "I don't see any serious injuries, but you probably have a concussion judging by that bruise on your head. I hope you didn't have any important business out of town because you need to rest at least a day or two before too much activity."

"Uh, no, I don't think I did. I believe I was waiting for something,...or someone...," Curry slurred.

"What do you mean you '_think_'? Don't you remember?" the doc asked.

"Well,...no, not really," Kid said momentarily closing his eyes. "Gees, my head hurts."

"That's to be expected." Doc Lewis looked at him worriedly. "Mr. Jones, exactly what can you remember?"

"Well, let's see. I know my last name must be Jones 'cause that's what you keep calling me. Don't rightly remember my first name. Uh,...lemme think... Well, I just came back from visiting my uncle. Seems like his name is Mac...McCreedy. Then I came here to...wait for...someone to show up." Kid was definitely having a difficult time. "But why would I be sitting around waiting for somebody?"

"Perhaps it was job related Mr. Jones," Beth interjected trying to be helpful. "What line of work are you in?"

Kid stared off into space, trying to piece together the fragmented thoughts drifting through his mind. "Uncle Mac,...waiting... I got a telegraph earlier,...or did I? If I did, who was it from and where is it? Who do I know that would send me a telegraph? Hmm,...Wyoming,...a sheriff there. I know a sheriff, in Wyoming. What's his name? Don,...John,...DANG IT! What's his name?... Dom,...Lom,...Lom,...hmm... Lom! Yes Lom! But what's his last name? Heck, I don't know. And who on earth am I wanting to show up here?"

The others gave Curry time to think a little, listening to his mumbling. Not understanding much of anything he said, they decided to prod for more information. "Mr. Jones, is anything coming to you?" Doc asked.

"A few things. I remembered I know a sheriff Lom something in Wyoming. That's about it, other than waiting."

"Well, if you know a sheriff, maybe you're in law enforcement," Beth offered.

"Law enforcement...," Kid returned to his thoughts. _'The law,...sheriff Lom,... Seems like I have dealt with the law alot...the law,...in-laws,...outlaws,...outlaw...that's it!'_

Then Curry spoke. "Little lady, I believe you might be right. I think I work for sheriff Lom something of Wyoming. I came down to visit my uncle, then I had to come here for a job. I'm waiting,...

...for an outlaw to show up,...

...so I can arrest him."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Mr. Jones, you seem to be suffering from partial amnesia since you can recall some things from your past and not others. There's really nothing I can do to help your memory, you'll just have to let time do that. As you recover from the concussion, your memory should fully return. I would suggest that you stay overnight so I can keep an eye on you."

"I can't do that," Kid Curry told the doc as he rubbed his forehead. "I have a job to do, at least I think I do. Is there anything _besides_ staying here you could suggest?"

"Well, you should just go about your business as normal, or as normal as you can recall. Doing your regular routine may help jar your memory back to normal a little quicker." Doc Lewis handed Kid some laudanum. "Here. If the headache gets too severe, take one of these. Since you're staying at the hotel, you should be able to find your first name in the register book. Try to take it easy Mr. Jones."

"I will doc and thanks." Kid slowly got up and put his jacket back on. He tipped his hat to Bethany on his way out the door. "Goodnight ma'am."

Curry made his way back to the hotel. He stopped in the lobby to check the register for his first name. Davy the desk clerk was fast asleep on a couch, having returned to 'work' after helping carry Kid to the doctor's office. Not wanting to disturb him, Curry quietly searched through the register book on the counter. _'Jones,...Jones,...'_ Fortunately, there was only one Jones staying at the hotel. _'So, my first name is Thaddeus. Thaddeus Jones.'_ Satisfied having discovered his first name, and what room he was staying in, Kid made his way upstairs where he stepped on a creaky floorboard. _'They ought to fix that...'_

Hannibal Heyes awoke the next morning later than what he would've liked. He wasn't an exceptionally early riser to begin with, but having stayed up late into the previous night reading Jules Verne adventures, he didn't stir until about ten a.m.. Heyes rolled over and looked at his pocketwatch on the table. _'Shoot! I need to get going. Kid will start to think I ain't coming today either.' _He jumped out of bed, hurriedly got dressed, and packed his saddlebags. Having done that same routine in a rush many times before, Heyes was checked out of his hotel in about five minutes. He did take the time to grab a sandwich to eat on the trail as he headed to the livery stable for his horse. _'Its just a couple or three hours ride to Belle Station from here. Kid shouldn't panic too bad before I get there.' _A small smile crept onto Heyes' face. _'He'll probably worry a little and run out yelling when I show up wanting to know where I've been.' _Heyes paid the stable fee and climbing aboard his sorrel mare, headed off to Texas.

Surprisingly, Kid had gotten up just after dawn the next day. His headache was still there, but wasn't throbbing bad enough to jar his teeth like it had been before he had went to bed. He sat gazing out his hotel room window trying to recall anything else from his past, but nothing came to him. Finally, he just decided to get dressed and go with what he had. _'Alright. If I'm a lawman sent here to intercept an outlaw that's supposed to be headed this way, I guess I better go study some wanted posters 'cause I sure can't remember what he's supposed to look like. First thing's first though. I gotta have some breakfast.'_ Curry headed out of the hotel and into the restaurant.

"Well, didn't expect to see you out and about this early," a female voice called out. A confused look crossed Kid's face.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but, do I know you?"

"In a roundabout way. I served you dinner yesterday and helped get you to daddy's office last night." Beth smiled as she led him to an empty table.

"Oh. Well, you'll excuse me I hope. My mind's a little foggy right at the moment." Kid looked up at her a little sheepishly.

"Aw, don't fret about it Mr. Jones! Its perfectly understandable. Now, how about some breakfast?"

"Thank you ma'am. That would be nice."

After a small breakfast of three eggs, ham, bacon, biscuits, gravy, and two cups of coffee, Kid set off for the sheriff's office. There was a small sense of dread in him as he walked up to the door. _'Now that don't make a lick of sense. If I'm a lawman, why should I be nervous going in a sheriff's office?' _He dismissed the feeling as being related to his current state of mind and walked in. Luckily, the sheriff of Belle Station had never seen Curry or Heyes, so Kid was safe strolling up to the lawman's desk. "Mornin' Sheriff," he said politely removing his hat.

"Good morning. Can I help you?" the sheriff said looking up from his paperwork.

"My name is Thaddeus Jones. I work with Sheriff Lom,...I'm a lawman from Wyoming. I was sent here because a known outlaw is supposedly headed this way."

"Well, son, if there's an outlaw coming into this town, don't you think that'd be my job to take care of?" the sheriff said sizing Curry up.

"I don't mean no disrespect sheriff. I can't give you all the details 'cause I can't remember them on account of a blow to the head I took last night. You can go ask the doc if you doubt my story. All I know is that I'm waiting on this outlaw. I don't know why I was sent all the way from Wyoming for him, but it must be dang important. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a look through your wanted files to help me recognize him. And I'd appreciate your cooperation." Kid stared at the sheriff, his icy blue eyes seeming to pierce right through the man. The lawman stared back for a moment considering Curry's story.

"Well. Alright then. I don't much care for the idea of an outsider being sent here to do my job, but it must be one notorious outlaw for someone to send you all this way. Sheriff Lom of Wyoming you say? Would that be Lom Trevors?"

Kid thought for a second. "I honestly don't know his last name, but something about it does sound familiar."

"I've heard of Trevors. Outlaw turned lawman. Quite a story. Well, I don't see no harm in letting you help catch a wanted criminal. Here." The sheriff reached into his desk drawer and handed Kid a stack of papers. "This is all my wanted posters. Feel free to sit here and study them. But, if you don't mind, I am going to go have a talk with the doc, just to ease my mind. I should be back before your done." Curry watched as the sheriff left the office, then started to flip through the wanted posters.

Twenty minutes had passed and Kid was coming to the last few posters. He stopped at one inparticular. _'Wanted Dead or Alive: Kid Curry. Hmm,...this description sorta fits me. That's odd.' _He turned to the last of the stack and read the description of one Hannibal Heyes. The sheriff returned as he was finishing up.

"Well, son, your story checks out. Doc told me Mac McCreedy was your uncle. Everybody in the area knows of Big Mac and his feud with that Mexican rancher. Anybody that can put up with McCreedy is alright in my book!"

"I sure do appreciate that sheriff. I just got done with these posters. Would you mind if I took some of the more,..._higher-priced _ones with me? Like I said, it must be a pretty important outlaw coming to send me all the way here."

"Sure, don't see why not. Just make sure you return them before you leave town." The sheriff sat down at his desk, more at ease now that he didn't think Kid a threat.

"I sure will and thank you," Curry said gathering the few posters he wanted and turning towards the door.

"Good luck Jones."

Kid had decided to perch himself on the porch of the hotel. From there, he had a good vantage point to see anybody coming to or leaving town. He had sat there for about an hour, almost ready to doze off, when he finally saw a horse approaching at a slow walk. He straightened in his chair to get a look at the newcomer. The rider seemed a little suspicious. He had his hat pulled kind of low, but Kid could still see his dark eyes darting back and forth taking in everything and everyone. To his surprise, the new arrival stopped and tied his horse to the hitching post right in front of him.

"Howdy!" the dark-haired stranger said pushing his hat back and walking up to him. "You hadn't gave up on me gettin' here had you? I hated to make you wait another day for me, but that was one more of a storm night before last! I'm about ready for a drink. What say we head over to the saloon after I take care of my horse?"

_'Shew. This sure is one talkative fellow.'_ Kid looked at Heyes, a mask of confusion on his face.

"What's wrong with you?" Heyes asked noticing the peculiar expression.

"Whaddya mean what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You walk up here and start talking my ear off without even knowing me."

"Without knowing you!" Heyes started to laugh but the serious look on Kid made him stop. "What's got into you?" He then noticed the bruise on Curry's forehead. "What happened? Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?"

"Mister, I'm sorry, but you've got me confused with someone else. I have no idea who you are."

"No idea!" Heyes was starting to get a little worried. Kid actually looked and sounded like he'd never met him before in his life. "Its me, Heyes. I didn't think I had _that_ much trail dust on me."

"Heyes?" Kid caught his breath. _'Heyes. That name was on one of these wanted posters.'_

"Yeah, Heyes. Kid, you're starting to scare me. Maybe you should go lie down and tell me what happened. What kind of papers you flipping through there?" Heyes tried to maneuver into a position to see what Kid was looking at.

_'AH! Here it is.' _Curry's eyes quickly scanned the poster. _'Wanted Dead or Alive: Hannibal Heyes. Dark brown hair, brown eyes' _He put down the paper and looked at Heyes. "Would that be _Hannibal_ Heyes?"

"Of course its Hannibal Heyes! But do you think you could keep your voice down? I'd rather not introduce myself to everyone in town. Come on, I'm taking you upstairs."

Kid stood up and grabbed Heyes by the arm. "No, we're not going upstairs. We're going over to the jail. Hannibal Heyes, consider yourself under arrest."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Kid! Have you lost your crazy mind?" Heyes managed to raise his voice a whole octave as he tried to pull free of Curry's steel grip on his arm. "You are NOT taking me into that jail!

Kid turned his icy showdown stare on Heyes. "Listen here. You can either walk normal-like over to that jail, or,..." His gun jumped into his hand and pointed at Heyes' chest. "Or you can be carried in a whole mess of pain. Your choice."

Heyes couldn't believe what was happening. "Kid, you can't be serious." But the look on Curry's face told him he was. He had to admit, he was more than a little nervous being on the receiving end of Kid's six-gun.

"I'm plenty serious. Now, MOVE. And don't even think of running or going for your gun because I WILL put a hole in your chest. You're worth the same dead or alive." Kid roughly pushed Heyes forward.

"Kid, you can't just waltz into a sheriff's office and turn me in. You'll end up behind bars too. Why don't we just go talk somewhere and figure out what's wrong with you." Heyes was doing his best to stall for time as he was herded down the street.

"Why do you keep calling me Kid? I ain't your partner-in-crime. And why I would be behind bars? I _work_ for the law, I don't break it. Now quit trying to stall Heyes and move it!"

The last part was said with such venom, it brought Heyes to a complete stop. He just stared in astonishment at Kid. "What's _happened_ to you? You're Jedediah Curry, Kid Curry, my cousin, my partner. That bruise on your head. Have you forgotten everything? Have you forgotten me?"

Kid stopped his wrangling for a moment. "Alright, I will admit I have forgotten a few things from an accident. But I KNOW I ain't no thievin' outlaw. Now, this is the LAST time I'm going to tell you to move before I start shooting."

Hannibal Heyes decided it was no use to keep arguing with Kid at the present time. He was getting nowhere fast. _'I guess I could try to distract him and make a run for it. But that would be stupid. It'd be KID CURRY shooting at me and that just wouldn't end any way but bad. No, best I just go with Kid for now. I'll have to figure something out, someway to get him some help. He keeps running around playing lawman, he's gonna end up meeting a REAL lawman that knows him and then we're BOTH in big trouble.' _Heyes finally surrendered and let his cousin escort him into the sheriff's office.

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"What's going on here Jones?" the sheriff asked standing up from his desk chair. "Who is this?"

"This, sheriff, is none other than Hannibal Heyes. This must be who I was sent here to get. Do you mind to lock him up here until I figure out who I need to contact and where in Wyoming I'm supposed to take him?"

"Not at all!" The sheriff stepped around his desk and up to Heyes. "Well, the great, uncatchable Hannibal Heyes. Don't get no ideas boy. You won't be escaping from here. Say, where's your partner Kid Curry? Heard you two were near inseparable."

Heyes paused for only a moment. He wasn't very well going to tell the sheriff Kid was the one turning him in. He had to protect his cousin and come up with a plan to save them both. Remaining poker-faced, he answered, "We got separated a couple days ago in a bad storm. Haven't seen him since."

Kid had a brief flash frame in his memory of Heyes stuck in a storm. He shook it off and led Heyes toward a cell where he roughly pushed him in. Slamming the door shut and locking it, he smiled sadistically at him. "Now you behave and stay put because if you let yourself out and I have to run you down, well, let's just say it won't be pleasant for you."

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving town."

"You know Heyes. Seems I remember you're supposed to be pretty smart. Don't seem to bright of you to ride up to a lawman and start talking to him."

"I didn't," Heyes whispered so the sheriff wouldn't hear. "I was talking to my partner."

Curry smirked at Heyes' comment and turned to leave. "Sheriff, I appreciate your help. I'll be back in a little while."

"That'll be fine Mr. Jones. We'll BOTH be right here."

Heyes sighed as he sat down on the bunk. He dropped his head into his hands. _'I canNOT believe what just happened. I've got to find out what happened to Kid last night. He's completely lost his mind.' _Sighing once again, Heyes stood up and started to pace.

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Kid was feeling pretty proud of himself. He had single-handedly caught one of the most notorious outlaws to ever roam the west. But even with the pride he currently felt, there was something nagging at the back of his mind, just out of conscious reach. A kind of feeling like he should've been protecting that outlaw, not turning him in, not to mention the fact that Heyes had acted as if they were old friends. He was really starting to hate these conflicting emotions. _'I sure hope my memory straightens up soon. This is driving me crazy.' _He turned towards the saloon, hoping a drink might settle his mental restlessness.

As soon as he breezed through the bat-wing doors, all attention seemed to turn in his direction. He found it extremely unsettling. "Well, if it ain't the man that finally caught Hannibal Heyes!" a voice called out from somewhere near the bar. Apparently, news traveled fast in this town. Kid didn't answer, just managed a tight grin as he walked up and ordered a shot of whiskey.

"On the house!" the bartender smiled as he poured the drink.

"Thanks." Kid emptied the shot glass. Not feeling particularly comfortable with his newfound fame, he left the saloon and decided to go for a ride to try to settle his troubled thoughts. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why turning that felon in was weighing on his mind so heavily. Entering the livery stable, he immediately started saddling his horse.

"Quite a big thing, you capturing Hannibal Heyes," the stablehand said emerging from cleaning a stall.

"Yeah, I guess so." Kid kept on preparing his horse.

"Really odd that he just rode up and started talking to you like that."

"Guess he thought I was somebody he knew."

"Well, his mistake just got you ten thousand dollars!"

"Yep. I suppose so." With that, Kid climbed aboard his horse and took off at an easy canter, leaving the stablehand slightly confused.

"Well, if I'd just got ten thousand dollars, I think I'd be more happy about it..."

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"Heyes! If you don't sit down, I'm gonna get the doc to come over here and give you something to knock you out. I'm getting dizzy watching you pace circles around that cell," the sheriff said annoyed.

Heyes instantly stopped as inspiration hit him. _'That's how I can find out!' _He walked to his bunk and plopped down.

"That's better! You get up and start that again and I have half a mind to shoot you."

Heyes got a crooked grin at the thought he was aggravating the sheriff. _'Half a mind is probably all he's got...' _He laid back to bide his time.

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Kid pulled his horse up when he came across a small pond in a clearing next to the main trail he was riding. He dismounted and led his horse over to get a drink. It was so peaceful, he found a rock next to the water's edge to sit on and tried to let himself relax. All that could be heard were the birds chirping and a slight breeze rustling the branches of overhead trees. Kid leaned back on his elbows staring up at the wispy clouds drifting by on their way to places unknown. At that moment, another brief memory of a time long gone flashed in his mind. It was like looking through fog. Everything was a blur, but he could make out two little boys sitting on a riverbank fishing. He was pretty sure one of the boys was himself, but the other one he didn't know. He couldn't see his face plainly. He could only tell that the other boy had dark hair. _'Who the heck is that with me? A friend? Brother?' _But as quickly as the memory had surfaced, it was gone, back into the recesses of his subconscious. Kid's head had started to throb again, so instead of jarring it more on the ride back, he decided to find a soft patch of grass to take a little nap before heading back to town. _'No need to hurry. My prisoner ain't going anywhere.' _A couple moments later, he found the perfect spot and laid down. Before too long, he was fast asleep.

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It had been about thirty minutes since Heyes had finished his dinner. He decided it was time to get down to business. "Sheriff... SHERIFF!"

"Quiet down Heyes. My deputy is out of town on family business so I'm stuck here all night, and I don't want to spend it listening to the likes of you."

"But something's wrong!"

"There ain't nothin' wrong, now shut up."

"But I think I'm gonna be sick." To make his point more clear, Heyes turned his back to the sheriff and gagged himself til he threw up. _'I really hate to vomit...' _

"HEYES! Aww, gosh, boy what'd you do?" The sheriff stormed back to Heyes' cell.

"I guess something from supper didn't quite agree with me," Heyes said innocently, leaning back against the bars.

"Look at that mess. Shew, you're more trouble than you're worth. I'm gonna get you a towel and you're going to clean that up."

"I don't think I could sheriff. I'm still feeling sick to my stomach. Could happen again at any moment. Maybe I ought to see the doc, see if he could give me something for it."

"Yeah, I take you to the doc and you make a run for it. No way Heyes. You're just gonna have to deal with it."

"Alright...I guess I'll just have to throw up in the corner all night. That'd probably be real disturbing to anyone staying in the office overnight, not to mention the fragrant smell of undigested food collecting on the floor. Plus the fact..."

"OKAY! You made your point. Maybe I can get the doc to come here and take a look at you. Anything to shut you up." The sheriff walked back out front to the door and grabbed his hat. "Now, I'll just be gone a minute so don't try nothin'. I'll be watching the door the whole time."

"Don't worry sheriff. I don't feel in any shape to be doing anything."

The sheriff left the office to hurry to the doc's place. Heyes straightened up and slyly smiled.

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Kid awoke to the sound of crickets starting to chirp. Twilight had fallen and the setting sun cast an eerie orange glow on the pond. _'Whoa, I didn't mean to sleep that long.' _He stood up and stretched, then went to get his horse which was grazing a couple yards away from him. "Come on boy. We gotta get back to town." He mounted up and headed back to town. _'Guess it's too late to send a telegram this evening. Have to do it tomorrow, if I can figure out if Lom's last name IS Trevors.' _

Having reached town, he ordered a couple of sandwiches from the restaurant and went to his hotel room. For a brief moment, he thought about going back over to the jail to check on Heyes, but decided against it. _'I'm sure the sheriff can handle things for tonight.' _Upon reaching the hotel, he ascended the stairs and entered his room to have dinner and think.

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"He's in here doc." Heyes heard the sheriff's voice nearing the door and promptly laid facedown on his bunk trying to look as sick as possible. To be honest, he didn't have to try that hard. Having that pile of mess he made in the corner, his stomach was actually churning ever so slightly.

"Alright boy. You behave yourself while the doc checks you out. Doc, you think you'll be okay in there with him?"

"I'm sure I will be."

"Well, if he starts anything, just holler. I'll be there at my desk." The sheriff let the doctor into the cell, looked at Heyes, shook his head, and walked back out front.

"Well now Mr. Heyes. What seems to be the problem?" Doc Lewis asked taking his stethoscope out of his medical bag.

_'That's what I want to know,'_ Heyes thought to himself. _'But how can I find out without letting the doctor onto who Kid really is? I can't let him know I know him. Hmm...'_ "Well doc. I don't rightly know. I ate dinner then deposited it over there shortly after."

Doc Lewis let out a little laugh. "Yes, I can see that! Are you hurting anywhere, any headache?"

"The only headache I've had is sitting at that desk out there. But other than that, no. My only other problem was getting caught!" Heyes flashed the doctor a huge grin.

"I guess that would be a problem considering who you are." The doc found himself taking a liking to the dark-haired outlaw. "You're not at all how I pictured you'd be."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, you seem very amiable. I've not heard of very many polite outlaws, especially ones of your status. Are you sure you're Hannibal Heyes?"

"Well, the sheriff and the guy that brought me in seem to think so. Speaking of which, do you know that blond-headed fellow? He seemed a little confused when he arrested me, like he wasn't sure what he was doing. Never met a lawman quite like him. I couldn't decide whether to run or feel sorry for him. Obviously, I should've ran, but I didn't feel like getting a bullitt in my back."

"Well, I don't see any harm telling you, seeing as you're already incarcerated. That fellow, Mr. Jones, probably ISN'T real sure of what he's doing. He's got a concussion and I told him to take it easy for a couple of days, not go chasing outlaws. Let me listen to you chest."

Heyes pulled his vest back and let the doctor check him out. "Concussion huh? _'So that's what's wrong with him.' _I imagine something like that would make a body act strange."

"Yes. It would. In Mr. Jones' case, he's lost some of his memory. Lay back, and tell me if it hurts when I press on your abdomen."

Heyes obeyed the doctor's orders. "I've heard of a couple guys that had that memory loss happen to them. Only lasts a couple of days don't it?...No, that don't hurt."

"Well, okay you can sit up, it's hard to tell how long something like that will last. But in this case, I think as the concussion heals, the memory will return to normal. I can't seem to find anything wrong with you Mr. Heyes. Must've just had a disagreement with your dinner. Just try to get a good night's sleep. If it's still bothering you in the morning, ask the sheriff to come get me."

"I will doc. Thanks." _'Yes, thanks for ALL that information.'_

"Sheriff? I've finished up back here. Mr. Heyes, it has actually been a pleasure meeting you."

"Why thank you doc. You too."

"He wasn't any trouble was he?" the sheriff asked letting the doctor out.

"No sheriff, not at all. I'll see myself out. Goodnight."

"Night doc. And as for you, here. Clean that mess up and keep quiet the rest of the night."

"Yes sir sheriff. Not another word," Heyes grinned making the sheriff a little uneasy.

"Alright then." The sheriff walked back to his desk to start on his fifth cup of coffee. Heyes wiped up the remnants of his dinner off the floor and laid down to think of what his next move should be. _'Somehow, I've got to get Kid to remember._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**HANNIBAL HEYES ARRESTED**

The headline was the first thing Sheriff Lom Trevors noticed the next day when he opened up his morning paper. The other thing that jumped out at him was the name of the lawman that arrested him. He had to catch himself from spitting coffee across his desk. "Thaddeus Jones! What the...?" He quickly read over the article twice just to make sure he was reading it correctly. "What are those two up to now?" Sighing heavily, he put the paper down and headed over to the telegraph office. _'I better send 'lawman' Thaddeus Jones a telegraph and find out what's going on.' _

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"Mr. Jones. Hey Mr. Jones!" the telegrapher called out to Kid who was walking down the street on his way to the jail.

"Yeah, what can I do for you?"

"I've got a telegraph for you. Says its urgent."

"Alright. Be right there."

Curry found his way into the telegraph office and received his message.

TO: THADDEUS JONES

BELLE STATION, TEXAS

FROM: SHERIFF LOM TREVORS

PORTERVILLE, WYOMING

URGENT

READ IN PAPER ABOUT CAPTURE OF HH BY YOU. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

LOM

"Want to send a reply?" the nervous little telegrapher asked. Something about this blond-headed fellow scared the wits out of him. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Uh,...yeah. Let's see...Okay. 'Would've sent you telegram yesterday but couldn't remember your last name. Locked HH up in local jail while waiting for instructions on what to do with him. Please advise. Deputy Thaddeus Jones.' Oh, and put a ps on there...'And please be as quick as possible. Don't think HH is right in the head. He thinks we're friends.'

"I'll send it right away Mr. Jones and let you know when I get a reply back."

"Thanks." Kid then resumed his journey to the jail.

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"Here's the reply from Belle Station Sheriff Trevors."

"Thanks. Let's see here." The more Lom read, the bigger his eyes got. _'Deputy Thaddeus Jones! Heyes thinks they're friends? What's those Texans done to those two?'_

"Want to send a reply back sheriff?"

"Uh, yeah. I gotta think on it first. Be back in a little while." Lom left to head back to his office. _'Sometimes it seems like those two try harder to get themselves thrown in prison than they do to get amnesty.'_

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"Mornin' sheriff," Curry said entering the office.

Heyes jumped up at the sound of Kid's voice. _'Wonder if he's got any of his memory back yet.'_

"How's my prisoner doing?"

_'Nope, guess not. Dang it!' _Heyes hit the bars in his frustration.

"Cool it back there Heyes! Please tell me you've come to take him somewhere else," the sheriff said looking like he hadn't slept in a week.

"He been giving you trouble?"

"He ain't nothing BUT trouble! I tell you, he could drive a dead man crazy. If he wasn't pacing, he was talking. Then he got sick. Then he was actually quiet for an hour. Then he started singing. When I told him to hush, he wanted to talk some more. Then he went back to pacing. That floor has probably got a groove wore in it. Then when I threatened his life for the umpteenth time, he finally was still long enough to fall asleep. Then he started talking IN HIS SLEEP! And apparently now, he's decided to beat on the bars. If he was MY prisoner, I'd done shot him. No wonder he was so successful at robbing. Those poor people probably paid him to go away. I don't know how Kid Curry puts up with him."

Kid had to supress a giggle at the tirade while Heyes stood in his cell looking proud as a peacock for 'robbing' the sheriff of a good night's sleep.

"Well, when you've been with Heyes that long, you kinda get immune to it," Kid said right off the top of his head without really thinking about what he was saying. He immediately realized what had just escaped his mouth and got a puzzled look on his face.

"You sound like you've known him a while," the sheriff started to look a little suspicious at Curry.

"No, I've not. I've just known OF him. Heard stories. I was just meaning that Curry must be immune to it." Kid was explaining more to convince himself than anyone else.

"Oh. Well. Yeah, I guess you got a point."

"Care if I have a word with him?"

"No, by all means. Take his attention of off harassing me for a while." The sheriff dropped his head on his desk and almost immediately started snoring.

Kid walked back to find Heyes leaning on the bars of his miniature prison. "Sheriff tells me you've been quite a handful. Hope you don't plan on trying to do me the same way when I take you out of here. I don't think I'd have as much patience as the sheriff."

"Kid, c'mon. You know, somewhere deep down you know, that this situation ain't right."

"What ain't right is you thinking I'm your partner. I am NOT Kid Curry. I don't know what's got you believing that but you better stop it right now."

"KID! Think about what you just blurted out a few minutes ago. 'When you been with Heyes that long...' That's your subconscious trying to tell you something. You HAVE been with me that long. You know me better than anyone else on the planet. You have to remember something about me."

"No Heyes. I HAVEN'T been around you that long. I don't know why that comment came out sounding like that, but you just took it wrong. There's something seriously wrong with you."

"Wrong with me! You're the one running around acting like a Texas ranger as if you've never committed a crime in your life! And you keep it up, before long, one of your law-abiding buddies is gonna recognize you for who you are and throw you right in here with me."

Kid decided he had heard enough. He suddenly with blinding speed, reached through the bars and grabbed Heyes by his shirt collar. "Now you listen to me outlaw. I've heard about enough of this nonsense. You keep calling me Kid and I'm gonna start putting a bullitt in you for everytime you say it. And keep in mind, mine aren't just idle threats." With that, he pushed Heyes away from him with such force, he almost lost his balance. All Heyes could do was stare. He decided now would not be the time to push the issue with Kid.

At that moment, the telegrapher came bursting into the office, startling the sheriff into knocking the coffee pot over. "Mr. Jones, you in here?"

Kid finally let go of his glare at Heyes and walked out front. "Yeah, what do you need?"

"You got a reply back from Wyoming."

"Be right there."

The telegrapher left the office in a hurry. Kid started following him. He stopped briefly at the door. "Don't worry sheriff. He should be gone soon." He then left for the telegraph office. Heyes sighed beginning to get genuinely worried.

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TO: THADDEUS JONES

BELLE STATION, TEXAS

FROM: SHERIFF LOM TREVORS

PORTERVILLE, WYOMING

DECIDED YOU SHOULD ESCORT HH HERE TO PORTERVILLE. WILL SEND EXTRADITION PAPERS TO SHERIFF OF BELLE STATION. SUGGEST YOU GET STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SEND WORD OF ANY TOWN YOU STOP IN ALONG THE WAY.

LOM

"Well, the sheriff will be happy to hear this." Kid headed back over to the jail.

"Back so soon?" the sheriff asked, now drinking from the coffee pot, having give up using a cup.

"Yep, and I brought you good news. Sheriff Trevors sent word that he's sending you extradition papers, but he wants me to go ahead and start that way with the prisoner, if its alright with you."

"Alright with me? Heck yeah its alright with me! You want him right now? Here's the keys."

"Well, I gotta go pack up my stuff, get a bite to eat, get a map, and get supplies for the trip. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Okay. Good. See you then."

Upon hearing the news, Heyes perked up a bit. _'Well, at least we'll be traveling alone. Maybe I can talk some sense into that hard head of his,...if he don't shoot me first.'_ Heyes shuddered ever so slightly at the thought that Kid was probably actually capable of shooting him in his current state of mind.

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It was indeed just a couple hours later when Curry returned. "Alright sheriff. I'm here to take your problem away. You wouldn't have a pair of handcuffs I could borrow do you? I don't seem to have any I don't think."

The sheriff didn't hesitate at all. "Well thank the good Lord! Here you go. And good riddance to you Heyes! I hope you meet someone in prison that bothers you just as much as you have me. I don't want to ever set eyes on you again!"

Heyes rolled his eyes and smiled at the sheriff as the door to his cell was opened. "Don't worry sheriff. I know you don't mean that and I'll be sure to look you up as soon as I get out."

"I'll be daggone..."

"That's enough out of you Heyes. Keep it up and I'll gag you." Heyes' gaze dropped to the floor as Kid handcuffed his hands behind his back. "Let's go."

Kid has Heyes' horse waiting for him outside beside his own. He helped Heyes mount his ride and proceeded to tie him to the saddle. "Now is all this really necessary? I mean, you know that I _think_ I know you. Why would I run off? Doesn't it make sense to you that if, on the off chance I'm right and we DO indeed know each other, that I would want to stay and try to help you remember? I heard you tell the sheriff that you'd heard stories of me. Well, in those stories you must've heard how good I am at escaping captivity. Why, I'd of been long gone if I didn't know you, if you weren't my partner, and were indeed a lawman. Isn't it logical..."

"What did I tell you?" Curry promptly took a bandana out of his saddlebag and proceeded to tie it around Heyes' mouth. "I'm beginning to see why the sheriff in there was so frazzled if he had to put up with this all night." Kid then climbed aboard his own horse and started on his journey to take Heyes to Wyoming. Heyes decided right then that if Kid kept this up, being nice wasn't going to cut it. He started formulating his next plan, since he couldn't do much of anything else at the moment. _'Kid, you're going to remember something if I have to beat it into you...'_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They had traveled close to ten miles across the flat, rugged terrain of Texas. It had been an uneventful ride so far. Deciding they had went far enough for the day, Kid Curry found a suitable place to make camp. He led Hannibal Heyes and his horse over to a tree and secured them. "Now, you can just wait right there whilst I set up camp. Don't want you running off without me." Heyes rolled his eyes at him. Kid started unpacking everything they would need for the night.

Heyes had done alot of thinking during the ride. He couldn't very well do anything else the way Curry had him trussed up. He was starting to regret letting Kid see the way he tied up things, or people, over the years. _'The bad thing is, he knows all my tricks, unless he's forgotten them. I hope he has.'_

It took Kid roughly thirty minutes to get camp set up. He casually walked over to Heyes and started untying him from his saddle. After helping him dismount, Kid led him over near the campfire he'd made and propped him up against a rock. "Now, if you think you can shut up for a while, I'll take that gag off and give you some water." Heyes nodded his head in agreement. Curry proceeded to remove the bandana from his mouth and hold the canteen for him to get a drink. When Heyes was finished, Kid commenced to tying his ankles together. "There. You shouldn't be going anywhere tonight. I'm going over here to have some dinner. Behave yourself and I might give you a little."

Heyes watched Kid cook up some beans. "Hey, Mr. Jones."

"Don't start up again about me being your partner Heyes or the gag will go back on."

"I was just wondering what made you want to be a lawman."

"I don't rightly remember," Kid said stirring the beans. "Like I said, I can't recall that much since that accident."

"Well, have you considered that maybe your mind has a bunch of facts from your past mixed up."

"I said don't start that again."

"I'm not. I'm just making idle conversation. Besides, I knew a guy once that had a similar problem. I just thought maybe by talking a little, it might help something come back to you."

"Why are you so interested? And why on earth would _you_ want to help a lawman do anything?"

"Let's just say I like to know about all the lawmen I can. So, have you thought about it?"

"About what?" Curry started eating a plate of beans with a side of jerky.

"About the fact that your brain may have mixed up some information. I heard you got a telegram from Wyoming which means you have, uh, _worked _or lived there. Well say, for example, that you're not originally _from_ Wyoming. Maybe you were born in, oh I don't know, Kansas and you grew up on a farm near a pond or creek."

Kid stopped his chewing and threw Heyes a glance. "I don't remember ever being in Kansas."

"Okay. Well, maybe you have some other memory from your childhood that could spark some recall. Say, fishing for example. Maybe you went fishing with a friend,...or relative."

At that, Kid actually froze for a moment. He _had_ experienced some memory of that type. _'But how would Hannibal Heyes know about me fishing? Must just be a coincidence.' _But it did disturb Curry a little.

Heyes noticed the faraway look in Kid's eyes. He stared at him intently, willing him to remember something. "Well, anything coming back to you?"

"Uh, no," Kid hesitated. "Nothing. Now I think its time you shut up and I'll give you some dinner."

Heyes decided not to push anymore for the time being. Kid brought over some beans and started feeding him. "You know, this is awful awkward. How about uncuffing my hands, just long enough to eat?"

"I'm not falling for that Heyes. I know how cunning you are. No deal." He gave him another spoonful.

Heyes eventually got enough to eat and Kid cleaned up. They were both tired from the long day's events, but Heyes refused to let himself go to sleep. It wasn't long before Kid did succumb to his weariness and laid down. "Now don't make me shoot you Heyes by trying to escape overnight." Kid did some thinking while laying there, trying desperately to recall something, anything. Another memory flashed in his mind. He was on his horse chasing,...no,...he was _being_ chased, by a large group of men. Someone was riding with him, beside him. Mentally, he turned on his horse to see who it was. But the memory vanished, replaced by the void he'd had for two days. He decided to let sleep overtake him and before long, he was snoring softly.

Heyes took that as his cue to try to get loose. He slung his head backwards to let his hat fall off. Then he twisted until he could get to the hat with his hands. He was trying to get to the lockpick he kept in the inside band. It took a few minutes of wrestling before he finally retrieved it. In no time, he had the cuffs unlocked. He froze as Kid stirred in his sleep. Apparently, he was dreaming. Heyes decided to sit still until he started snoring again.

Kid was indeed dreaming. He was standing on top of a hill looking down as a bunch of riders came thundering down the road. He didn't know who they all were. The only one he could see clearly was himself. They were obviously in a big hurry because they were at a full gallop. As they got closer, he could see something being dragged behind three of the horses. Eventually, he could make out the object being dragged was a safe. _'What kind of lunatic pulls a safe behind his horse?' _He squinted his eyes to try and see the face of said lunatic, but the dream changed and he was riding his horse at a casual walk. It was dark, and again, someone was riding with him, this time in the front. A shot rang out and the rider in front fell from his horse and rolled down a small hill. Kid jumped off his own mount and ran after the fallen figure. He reached him and was just about to turn the victim's face toward him when he suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. His eyes were wide with panic. Kid sat up on his elbows for a moment and composed himself. He looked over to check on Heyes. The ex-outlaw leader gave him a big smile. _'Don't he ever sleep?' _Kid studied him for a minute, then lay back down. Ten minutes later, he was snoring once again.

Heyes carefully brought his hands around in front of him and tried to stretch. His shoulders and arms hurt something fierce from being handcuffed for over ten hours. He barely contained a groan as his muscles protested the movement. Then he proceeded to untie his ankles. _'If I can get Kid's gun, I can FORCE him to listen to me until he remembers something.' _Quietly, he got up and crept slowly towards the sleeping form of Curry. The new moon and the fire almost gone made it difficult to see. He could see Kid's colt lying close to his mid section where he could grab it quickly. Stepping lightly as a cat stalking a bird, Heyes inched closer, getting just within reaching distance of the firearm. A snap of a twig broke the midnight silence and halted him. Heyes looked down at the offending piece of wood with a _'I can't believe this' _look. When he looked back up, he was staring down the barrel of Curry's gun. "Hi," he said smiling as he brought his hands up.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Kid snarled as he rose to a sitting position, keeping his gun trained on Heyes' head the whole time.

Heyes lost his smile when he saw the murderous glint in Curry's eyes. "Uh, nowhere." He was so shocked at the look on his partner's face, he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"That's exactly right. You ain't going nowhere. Now, turn around and walk to that tree over there." Kid got to his feet and went to retrieve the handcuffs Heyes had discarded. He then walked over to Heyes. "Alright. Sit down and reach your hands around the tree trunk." Heyes had no other choice but to comply. He reached around and Kid snapped the handcuffs shut on his wrists. "You get loose this time and it'll be the last thing you ever do." Satisfied that he had secured Heyes, Kid went back to his bedroll and laid down. Heyes sighed and dropped his head against the tree.

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The next morning, Lom Trevors' first stop was at the telegraph office to see if 'Deputy' Jones had sent any more messages. Finding none, he headed over to his own office to find someone waiting outside for him.

"Mornin'. You Sheriff Trevors?"

"Yessir I am. What can I do for you?"

"My name's Michael Stoneson. I'm a federal marshal stationed in the Wyoming territory. I understand one of your deputies has Hannibal Heyes in custody and is escorting him here from Texas. My orders are to go meet him and make sure the prisoner gets here with no problems. I need to know from you what trail they're taking here."

"Well, come on inside and we'll talk." Lom was none too happy about the recent development.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sheriff Lom Trevors leaned back in his chair glaring at the federal marshall that had just ruined his day. "I take it you and your superiors don't have much faith in my, uh, 'deputy' to do his job correctly."

"Its not that sheriff," Marshal Stoneson said sitting down. "Its that my superiors and I don't have much faith in Hannibal Heyes staying in captivity. Every lawman in the country knows that holding onto Heyes is like trying to eat soup with a fork, nobody's quite figured out how to do it yet."

"Well, marshal, 'Deputy' Jones sent me a telegram letting me know he was leaving Texas yesterday with Heyes. He didn't say which way he was coming and I've not had any further messages from him. I can't tell you much more than that."

"You're not purposely withholding information are you Trevors? You know that would be considered aiding a fugitive and you wouldn't want to end up on THAT side of the law again would you?"

That got Lom's dander up. "NO, marshal. That's all I know at this point. Go over to the telegraph office and check if you don't believe me. That's the LAST telegram I received. The only thing I know to tell you is start off towards Texas and hope you meet up with them. Now, if that's all you need, I've got some work to do around here." Lom stood indicating he was ready to leave his office, and that the marshal had overstayed his welcome.

"Okay sheriff. Didn't mean any offense. Just doing my job." Marshall Stoneson left Trevors' office, not completely convinced of the sheriff's honesty. So he did indeed go and check with the telegrapher to see the last message Lom had received.

"Guess he WAS telling the truth," the marshal said studying the telegram. He then climbed aboard his horse and took off in the direction of Texas, intent on making sure Hannibal Heyes made it back to finally stand trial. There was one main road going south from Porterville and he took off on it at a canter. _'Heck, I might even get lucky and catch Curry trying to make a rescue.'_

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Heyes had a horrible night. His arms hurt from being stretched around that blessed tree, his forehead was scratched from banging his head on the trunk in frustration, a spider had crawled down his shirt sleeve to not be seen again, and he was pretty sure some ants had found their way into places no insect should be. He didn't think he'd ever been that glad to see the sunrise. Not long after the sun had risen, Kid stirred and finally got up. He walked over and studied the pained look on Heyes' face. "Sleep well Heyes?" he asked sarcastically.

"Like a knot on a log," Heyes replied through gritted teeth without missing a beat.

"Well good. Now, I'm going get you off this tree and let you take care of some _necessities_ before breakfast." Kid uncuffed Heyes whose arms immediately collapsed to the ground. Standing up, he slowly rubbed them trying to return some circulation when Curry slapped the cuffs on once again, this time in front.

"Oh COME ON!" Heyes protested. "WHERE am I gonna run off to on foot in broad daylight? Don't you think I know you'd shoot me before I made it five feet!"

"Sorry, but the more aggravated you are, the less clearly you can think of ways to escape." Kid walked back over to his makeshift firepit and started making some biscuits and coffee.

"You're gonna think aggravated. That doesn't even begin to describe it," Heyes mumbled to himself as he took care of _business_.

"When you're finished, come on over here and sit down. I've made enough breakfast for us both."

Heyes reluctantly went over and sat down across from Curry. He stared at the fire dejectedly. _'How I wish I could throw these goshdarn handcuffs in there.' _

"Here," Kid said handing him some biscuits, jerky, and coffee. "Don't look so irate Heyes. You could've been caught by someone that would treat you alot worse."

"Mmhmm. Glad to see that brain of yours hasn't forgotten your appetite."

"What's that?"

"I said I hope it don't rain tonight." Heyes was thoroughly disgusted with his current predicament. He couldn't decide which bothered him more, the fact that Kid had no idea who he was, or that he had no control over helping him. Heyes wasn't used to not calling the shots. All he _could_ decide was that he was about fed up with 'Deputy Jones'.

A couple of hours later, Kid had everything packed up and Heyes once again attached to his horse. At least he hadn't gagged him this time and had left his hands cuffed in front.

After a while, they had made it over the Colorado border. Heyes had been quiet for the most part, just dropping small hints here and there to try to jog Kid's memory. Nothing had worked as far as he could tell. So there he sat, tied to his horse and brooding. If looks could kill, Curry would've been dead that morning. Heyes had come to the decision that the first chance he got, he was gonna make a run for it, circle around, and try to catch Kid by surprise that night after he had set up camp. _'Then I'll just tie him up and make HIM LISTEN.'_ Truth be told, he was more than a little flustered at having to plot against his cousin that way. _'It's for his own good though. He won't listen to me as things are now.' _Having made that decision, he watched and waited.

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Entering Colorado from the north was Marshal Stoneson. He had ridden all of yesterday, stopping for only a few hours of sleep, then continuing on before sunrise. He was in quite a hurry to catch up with Trevors' deputy Jones. Hopefully, he hadn't already let his notorious prisoner escape. Actually, he wasn't all that worried about it. Having been a bounty hunter before deciding to become a federal marshal, he was fairly confident in his tracking abilities. Bringing Hannibal Heyes to justice had been one of his life's goals ever since he had first heard of the outlaw. He wanted to be the one to have the glory of doing something noone else could do, and he would almost resort to anything to accomplish that. He urged his horse forward into a gallop.

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Kid Curry rode along silently leading his reluctant companion. He had pretty much ignored Heyes when he had tried to make conversation. Mostly, he did it just to annoy the outlaw leader, but on the other hand, some of the things Heyes said had left him in deep thought. It was almost as if he knew what he was talking about, but he didn't want to discuss it. At one point, Kid had turned and found himself staring into those deep brown eyes, and for a split second, he felt a hint of recognition. He had to get a few moments to himself to clear his thinking, so he used the excuse to relieve himself as means of doing just that. "I won't be very far away. Don't move from that spot. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Kid dismounted and walked into a little grove of trees.

It was then that Heyes got busy. He hurriedly dug deep in his pants pocket for yet another lockpick. He always carried a spare and right then, he was real thankful for that. He had the cuffs off in a flash and got to work untying his legs from his stirrups. He knew Kid would be back any second, so as soon as he was able to reach into his boot, he pulled out a small knife and cut the remaining ropes. Heyes took a deep breath and with a slap of the reins, he took off at a flat out gallop. _'Don't hold back girl'_, he mentally told his horse. It didn't take Curry long to see what was happening when he heard the hoofbeats. "HEYES!" He ran out of the trees, took aim, and fired. Heyes fell from the saddle and his horse slowed to a stop. Kid ran over to him and when he knelt down to check him, he had the strangest feeling of de'ja' vu. He found he had genuine concern for Heyes' welfare, but why?

"Heyes? Heyes, you alright?" Kid looked him over. Heyes was still breathing. He found the place on his arm where the bullet had grazed him. Kid was relieved. After all, he wasn't shooting to kill. The unconsciousness was caused by the fall off the horse. Kid lightly slapped Heyes' face. "Heyes, wake up. C'mon, wake up."

After a few minutes, Heyes opened his brown eyes to find himself staring up at Kid. He immediately furrowed his brow. "You okay Heyes? Here let me help you stand up." Kid grabbed Heyes under his arms, being careful of the wounded one, and lifted him til he was standing. He let go and Heyes just stood there, slightly swaying, and staring a hole through him."What! I TOLD you not to try to escape. Just be thankful I wasn't shooting to kill."

Heyes looked at the bleeding wound on his upper left arm. He then turned a gaze on Curry that would've made the devil run for cover. "You...SHOT ME! I can't believe you did that! That's it! I CAN'T TAKE THIS NO MORE!" And with that statement, Heyes pulled his good arm back and decked Kid upside his head. Kid suddenly found himself on the ground looking up at Heyes in a daze, watching him shake his hand. They both just stared at each other with addled looks for what seemed an eternity. Kid finally stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off his partner. Heyes had a nervous thought run through his head at that moment. _'Oh great. Now he WILL kill me.'_

"What's wrong with you Heyes! What the heck was that for! I oughta flatten you!"

"What do you mean 'what was that for'! YOU SHOT ME YOU IDIOT!"

"Me an idiot! You're the one that decided to run off and leave me behind!"

"You're dang right I's trying to run off and leave you! You've lost your mind!" Heyes ran his now hurting right hand through his hair and turned to walk off.

"Well that's just GREAT! In all those years with the Devil's Hole Gang, you never left ANYBODY behind and now, you up and decide to leave your OWN PARTNER! Well, if that's how you feel about it, then go on! DON'T LET ME STOP YOU!"

Heyes stopped and did a doubletake. "What did you just say?"

"I said its FINE if you want to leave your..." Kid stopped and looked inward as a lifetime of memories came rushing back. It was almost overwhelming. He returned his troubled azure eyes to Heyes, noticing how disheveled he looked. His hair had seen better days, his wrists were showing signs of bruising, he looked like he'd been on the trail for days, and there was blood soaking his sleeve. "Oh my God. Heyes. I'm so sorry. Oh my God." Curry staggered backward before dropping to sit on the ground. "What have I done? How could I treat you like that?"

Heyes walked over to sit down beside him. "Kid?"

"Yeah Heyes," Kid couldn't bring himself to look at him.

Heyes threw his good arm around his shoulder. "Glad you're back."

"I'm sorry Heyes. I wouldn't blame you if you did leave. What kind of person turns his own kin in to the law? And if that wasn't bad enough, I shot you. Gosh Heyes. I'm so sorry. I didn't..."

"Know what you were doing. I know Kid. Don't worry about it. If I were you, I'd be more worried about losing my touch. You only grazed me!"

"What, were you wanting me to lodge one in your back? Heyes, how will I ever make it up to you?"

"Well, for starters, how about helping me dress this wound?" Heyes gave him a big smile and Kid started to feel just a tiny bit better.

"Heyes? What would you have done if I'd of taken you all the way to Wyoming and got you thrown in prison"

"Kid, you wouldn't have got me that far!" Heyes said with a devious little laugh. Kid grinned at the comment as he stood up to go get something to take care of Heyes' arm.

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Unbeknownst to the two reunited ex-outlaws, Federal Marshal Stoneson had been making good time. He was now within a couple of hours of running into them. And he knew what both Heyes and Curry looked like.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

That night, Hannibal Heyes was definitely more comfortable than he had been the previous night. He had his cousin and partner back for the most part, his arm had been bandaged with pieces of an extra shirt that was in Kid's saddlebags, and best of all, he wasn't wearing handcuffs. Kid was sitting across from him, deep in thought. He just couldn't put behind him what he had done to Heyes, thrown him in jail, kept him tied up, and then shooting him. Even though Heyes had told him to forget about it, it still nagged at him something fierce. "Heyes?"

"Yeah, Kid?"

Curry actually stopped eating. He looked into Heyes' dark eyes illuminated by the campfire. "I don't know how I'll ever make this up to you. I didn't know I was capable of such things. What if I had killed you?" He looked down at his plate. "I couldn't have went on if I'd got my memory back and realized I did that."

"Kid, its okay, really." No response. "Hey!" Heyes reached across and lightly punched him in the arm. "I admit, last night and earlier today, I was ready to choke you! But in the back of my mind, I always knew that wasn't the real you. I understand completely and if the roles had been reversed, I would be feeling the same guilt. So just let it go. Its in the past and we can't change it. We can only go forward."

Kid sat quietly for a moment digesting what his cousin had said. "Heyes?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

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The next morning, Heyes had just finished making coffee when Kid walked over and sat down. "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks." He took a sip of the thick brown liquid. "Geez Heyes. You always make coffee this bad?"

Heyes let out a little laugh. "Yeah!"

"That's something I coulda done without remembering. So," Kid continued trying to swallow another drink of Heyes' specialty, "got any new plans yet?"

"What? Plans? What kind of plans?"

"For our next job. Don't know about you, but I didn't find too much money in my pocket this morning."

"Well, to be honest, the only planning I been doing the last few days had to do with getting you to remember me. But I guess you're right. We do need to find another job soon. Be nice to have a bath and a bed. I think we should go on to Porterville and talk to Lom first, explain all those telegrams he's been getting."

"What do you mean go to Porterville? Shouldn't we head back to Devil's Hole. The boys are probably gettin' restless."

Heyes looked at Kid with a questioning look. "Kid, just what kind of job are you talking about?"

"A bank job! What kind were you talkin' about?" Kid looked as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Apparently your memory ain't all back Kid. We don't do that no more. We're trying for an amnesty, remember? We went and talked to Lom about it and he talked to the governor for us. Don't that ring a bell?"

Curry sat for a moment, once again deep in thought. "Uh, yeah. Seems I do remember talking to Lom about something. Just couldn't remember what. So the plan is to go to Porterville?"

"I think it would be for the best. Explain to him about 'Deputy' Jones and that I didn't escape from custody. That way, if the governor were to hear rumors about the past few days events, Lom could explain it to him. Don't want him thinking we're up to _mischief," _Heyes finished with a big grin. "C'mon. Let's finish packing up and get going."

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A little ways up the road, Marshal Stoneson was also packing up and getting ready to be on his way. He'd been looking forward to this day for a long time. He mounted his horse and galloped off.

After about an hour and a half on the trail, the Marshal caught sight of two riders in the distance. He slowed his horse to a walk. When he got within shouting range, he called out, "Thaddeus Jones?"

Kid and Heyes both stopped their horses and looked at each other. "Yeah?" Kid yelled back deciding he should answer.

"Who is that?" Heyes asked.

"I have no idea."

"And how did he know your 'name'?"

"Don't know that neither."

"Did you send telegrams to anyone other than Lom?"

"Don't think so."

"Well, he thinks he knows you. Maybe you ought to ride ahead and see who that is and what he wants. I'll stay back and cover you, just in case."

"Alright. If its trouble, I'll let you know somehow." Kid pulled his hat low and kicked his horse into a trot to meet the stranger. In a couple of minutes, he was close enough to see the badge pinned to the marshal's vest. _'Oh great. What's a lawman wanting with Thaddeus Jones?'_ Kid thought about just turning around, riding back to Heyes, and getting the heck away from there. But he figured that would be just suspicious enough to have the lawman come after them. If that guy just thought he was regular citizen 'Thaddeus Jones', then maybe there wouldn't be any problems. _'Maybe I'm just overreacting as Heyes would say.' _"Can I help you?" Kid asked before he got any closer.

"You Deputy Jones, work with Sheriff Trevors?"

Kid relaxed just a bit. If this guy knew Lom, then he must be alright. "Uh, yeah sure." He immediately realized how awkward that had sounded.

"I've come to help you bring in Hannibal Heyes, make sure he don't pull any of his tricks on you. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"Uh, well," Kid had to think of something fast, "I left him tied back there whilst I came and seen who you was, in case you had been one of the Devil's Hole gang."

It was then that Marshal Stoneson made it close enough to Kid to see his face under his hat, and he stopped dead in his tracks. "You're not Thaddeus Jones, you're Kid Curry!"

_'Oh CRAP!' _Kid promptly turned his horse and started racing back to Heyes, the marshal following shortly after. "RUN!" was all he could think of to yell as he urged his horse faster.

_'What's he yelling about?' _was Heyes' first thought, but then he saw a cloud of dust rapidly coming his way, with another cloud following. "Well, time to go!" He turned his own horse and took off as fast as he could get the mare to move.

Marshal Stoneson could tell he was losing ground to Curry, and he was nowhere near the rider that had taken off in front, who was no doubt Hannibal Heyes. He decided to bring his gun up and aimed. Kid had figured on him shooting sooner or later, they always did, so he had started guiding his horse in a slight weaving pattern to make himself a harder target. The Marshal let off a couple of shots, both of which missed. "Dang!" He tried a couple more, but still didn't hit anything.

Heyes heard the shots being fired and turned in his saddle to check on his cousin. Seeing Curry wasn't hit, he yelled as loudly as he could in the hopes that Kid would hear him. "SPLIT UP! REMEMBER GOLDROCK, MONTANA."

All Kid could make out over the sound of thundering hooves were the words 'split' and 'Montana'. He then saw Heyes veering off to the right towards some hills and was pretty sure that was what had been called out. He turned his own horse to the left towards the nearest mountain. At least there was only one man chasing them and not a whole posse. He turned to see the Marshal had went after Heyes. _'Montana? Why'd Heyes yell out Montana?' _He had to think for a minute, but then it came to him.

Back when they were still in the outlawing business, the two of them had stopped in Goldrock, Montana for a celebratory drink after the gang had pulled a bank job about thirty miles to the east. The rest of the gang had rode on towards Devil's Hole. Kid and Heyes were riding out to meet up with the gang when they met Goldrock's sheriff right outside the town. The sheriff recognized them, but decided he didn't have time to go on into town and form a posse, so he set off after them on his own. He had chased them a short distance when they had split. The sheriff had followed Curry, and after a short while, Heyes circled back around until he was behind the sheriff and chasing him. Heyes started firing his gun in the sheriff's direction, but high enough that he wouldn't hit anyone. The sheriff, upon seeing that he was then between the two notorious outlaws, decided to give up and rode off in the opposite direction.

Kid only hoped that this federal marshal would turn out to be as cowardly as the sheriff of Goldrock. When he was satisfied that he was far enough away that the Marshal wouldn't see him, he turned his horse once again and set off in Heyes' direction.

Up ahead, Marshal Stoneson was starting to gain ever so slightly on Heyes. He had been closer to Curry when the two had split up, but it was Hannibal Heyes he wanted the pleasure of arresting. Besides, Curry was the gunslinger, so Heyes should be easier to take down.

Heyes risked a glance back ever so often only to see his pursuer closing the distance. He was thankful, however, that the lawman had followed him and not his partner. Heyes urged his horse to go faster, but she was already at top speed. _'That lawman must be riding a thoroughbred.' _He saw an outcropping of trees and turned towards it.

The Marshal had suddenly remembered he had two shots left in his gun. He took aim at the middle of Heyes' back and fired.

Kid heard the shots being fired and knew it was the Marshal doing the shooting. Heyes never fired back at a posse, unless it was a real matter of life and death. "C'MON," he yelled to his horse, desperately trying to catch up.

Heyes had just made it around the first of the trees when the Marshal fired. The bullet dug into the tree in the space that Heyes had just vacated. _'That was TOO close.' _Upon entering the realm of trees, Heyes had to slow his horse down just a bit. That let the Marshal gain even more ground. Heyes kept his horse weaving in and out of trees, trying to disrupt any more shots the Marshal might take. He chanced another look back to see how close the lawman was, and in doing so, didn't see the low-hanging branch coming up fast. He turned back just in time to see the branch knock him backward off his saddle. He lay there dazed and gasping, the air knocked out of him. It was just a minute or so later that the Marshal caught up with him. He stopped and dismounted his horse, his gun trained the whole time on the fallen ex-outlaw. He looked down at him with an evil smile. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this Heyes?" He bent down and held his gun point-blank to Heyes' chest.

Heyes tried the impossible, still gasping for air. "I'm not Hannibal Heyes."

"Oh yes you are," Marshal Stoneson hissed out. "I happen to know what you and Kid Curry look like." Heyes felt as if his heart were going to burst out of his chest at any second as he stared into the lawman's angry gray eyes. "You see, a few years ago, I used to be a bounty hunter. I had rode into a town to rest up after a chase when I saw a commotion at the bank. That was when I saw you and that hoodlum gang of yours run out and ride off. I joined the posse that chased after you, and then managed to get lost in the Utah canyonlands. We almost didn't make it back to civilization. You should feel special. You're the sole reason I became a federal marshal. That way, when I found you and 'shot you trying to escape my custody', it would be all legal and nobody would question it. Besides, the reward on your head will set me up real nice, not to mention the reward on your partner when he meets the same fate."

"How are you going to convince anyone you shot me trying to escape when it will so plainly look like you shot me at point-blank range?" The Marshal paused considering this. "Anyone that knows anything about gunshot wounds will know you just flat out murdered me. And the last time I checked, murder is still a hanging offense, even if the victim's a wanted man and the shooter works for the government." Heyes was trying anything he could think of to stall for time.

"I guess I'll just have to say in that case that it was self-defense. Especially after I graze my arm with your gun."

"Its a well-known fact I never killed anyone."

"Well, there's always a first time." The Marshal cocked the hammer back. "Any last words Heyes?"

"Yeah,...good to see you Kid," Heyes smiled looking past the lawman as his partner.

Marshal Stoneson whirled his head around to look into the barrel of Curry's colt. "Good to see you too Heyes. Now Marshal, you just put that gun down. Don't make me shoot you."

The Marshal's hand never moved. "I don't think so Curry." He looked back down at Heyes. "You shoot me, I shoot your partner. I think its you that better put down his firearm."

Kid took this in and weighed his options. He briefly made eye contact with Heyes. He made his decision and raised his gun in the air. "Let him up and I'll put down my gun."

Marshal Stoneson turned his head once more to stare at Kid. Having finally gotten some air into his lungs, Heyes took advantage of the lawman's averted gaze and grabbed hold of his gun, pointing it away from him. Stoneson felt the sudden, involuntary movement of his gun, and realizing what was happening, squeezed the trigger. Heyes howled out in pain as he felt the bullet burn flesh. Kid, seeing what just happened, brought his own gun down hard on the Marshal's head, successfully knocking him out cold. He collapsed on the ground next to Heyes to see him holding his side. Kid began to panic. "How bad Heyes?"

"Don't know," Heyes managed to squeak out through gritted teeth.

"Here, let me see." Kid gently took hold of Heyes' hand and lifted it from the open wound. He inspected it closely, and then looking under Heyes, found the offending bullet embedded in the ground. "Looks like it just went through a little bit of skin next to your ribs. Its stuck in the ground under you. Bleeding pretty bad though."

"If I had just been a little faster, I wouldn't have got hit at all."

"Well," Kid smiled relieved his cousin wasn't fatally wounded, "not everybody can be as fast as me!" Heyes rolled his eyes. "Can you get up? Let me help you." Kid delicately put Heyes' arm around his neck and slowly rose to a standing position. Heyes immediately got light-headed.

"Whoa, better sit down for a minute." Kid helped him over to a nearby rock to sit.

"I better clean that up while you're sitting there. Don't want it getting infected. Kid had a little bit of whiskey in his saddlebag and continued on to pour it on Heyes' new injury, causing yet another blood-curdling howl to ring out.

"Dang Kid! You coulda told me to get ready for it first!"

"Sorry! Just thought it might be better if you didn't know when it was coming."

"Well, you thought wrong!" Heyes instinctively jerked back when he saw Kid coming at him again. "Don't you dare do that again!"

"I ain't Heyes. Quit being proddy. I'm just trying to get this piece of cloth around you to stop the bleeding. What are we gonna do about him?"

Heyes calmed down and let Kid finish his doctoring. "I think we ought to just tie him up and leave him near the trail. Somebody should find him sooner or later."

"But won't an escape count against our amnesty?"

"We're not escaping Kid. He never once said 'you're under arrest', so technically, we were never actually in custody. And I won't be in trouble over escaping 'deputy Jones' because he just happened to be my partner all along. I think we should continue on to Porterville, by another way of course, and explain everything. That way, we'll be in the clear, no matter what this idiot here may say."

"Alright Heyes. We'll do it your way."

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A few hours later, they had placed the disgruntled marshal near the main road, and had taken a mountain trail that few people knew of towards Porterville. By that night, they had finally reached their destination. Not seeing any lights on in the sheriff's office, they went to Lom's house. Kid knocked on the door. A couple minutes later, the door opened.

"WHERE have you two been? I thought I asked you to stop ever so often and let me know where you were. And what got into you Kid, acting like a Texas ranger?" Lom then noticed how weary they both looked and how pale Heyes appeared. "What's been going on?"

"Let us in and we'll tell you," Heyes replied supporting himself on the doorframe. Lom moved aside and let the two ex-outlaws in. He then made some coffee and sat down to hear his friends' latest adventure.

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A few days later, Heyes was feeling alot better, having healed up some, and Kid's memory had fully returned. They were thankful that Lom had let them stay with him until everything got settled. Lom came home one evening to find Curry in the kitchen cooking a rabbit. He went to get a cup of coffee, then paused for a second. "Did Heyes make this coffe?"

"No," Kid laughed. I forbidded him to go near your coffee pot!"

"Thanks. I mean that," Lom said, finally pouring himself a cup.

Heyes walked into the kitchen and sat down. "Evening Lom. Did you get everything straightened out?"

"Yeah, I finally did. I explained the whole story to the governor. Don't worry. You haven't done anything to endanger your amnesty chances."

"Did you ever hear anything from that federal marshal?"

"Yeah, he sent me a telegram. Said he didn't find my deputy, that Heyes had escaped him. Then he said he found you two and tried to catch you but you got away."

"He didn't say anything about how we left him?"

Lom laughed. "No! I think his ego was too bruised too admit to that. He did say though, that he was on your trail, that you were headed south and to let him know if I heard anything about you two."

Heyes looked pleased with himself. "Well, good to know that false trail we laid down worked!"

"You know you boys can't stay here much longer. Not that I mind, but sooner or later, somebody's gonna start asking questions."

"Yeah, we know. We had already planned on heading out tomorrow, maybe head west for a while."

"That's good boys. Just please, stay out of trouble this time."

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The next morning, Heyes and Kid packed up and were ready to leave when Heyes remembered something. "Be right back Kid. I gotta go mail something."

"Mail something?" Kid wondered as he watched Heyes dig in his saddlebags then head for the mail office. A few minutes later, he returned. "What did you do?" Kid eyed him suspiciously.

"Just returning some property!" A sly smile appeared on Heyes' face. The two mounted up and rode west.

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A couple days later, in a town in Texas, a certain sheriff was sorting through his mail when he came across a package with no return address. With a confused look on his face, he opened the package to find a pair of handcuffs. Under the cuffs, was a note. His frown got deeper as he read:

_Dear Sheriff,_

_Thought you might want these back. My partner and I really have no use for them. By the way, thanks for the lovely stay in your facility. Maybe I'll see you again some day!_

_Sincerely,_

_HH_


End file.
